Episode 33 : It takes a Village... - Emma chats to Lara Protheroe, house renovator and host of Combe Head House

I’ve known Lara for a few years now. She first popped up on my radar when she approached me to ask for advice about running her holiday let business at Combe Head House because she’d seen Dimpsey and knew that we were nearby. We met up and have become friends, chatting about business and life in general when we see each other.With three generations living together, two small children, properties to renovate and a holiday let business to build - Lara is a very busy lady and, like many of our interviewees, her instagram is absolutely dreamy and would have you believe that her life is all about choosing paint colours and styling interiors with the occasional trip to see her gorgeous sheep, goats and chickens.However, the reality is that, as always, there is huge amounts going on behind the scenes to make it look that easy and more often than not when I pop to see Lara, she emerges from a dusty corner with a broom or a paintbrush in her hand.In our chat, Lara shares how important the local Community has been to her, providing support and knowledge - and how a wide range of local women-led businesses have been her salvation through the times when it all seemed a bit too much.If you’ve ever wanted to renovate a house, or running your own business at the same time as having a family feels totally bonkers, Lara’s insights will most definitely be of interest.Outside of the above, it’s a great chat about women helping women and the countryside community being such a strong support.I’ve scheduled this one to go out on International Women’s Day as I think it exemplifies the Give to Gain ethos that is already part of the countryside community.Other Podcast listens that we mention during the episode :Maddie Beaumont - Redefining Hospitality for 2026 and beyondKate Cullen of Fablefaine - Connecting brands with powerful rural properties Kate Cullen Tamsyn Froom Architecture - Designing spaces that work for your lifeAs always - thank you for reading and thank you for listening. Please do like and comment if you enjoy the interview as it does help us to be seen by more people. Thank you for being part of our Countrywoman’s Guide Community. Subscribe for free below to receive new posts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit countrywomansguide.substack.com